When the world is small enough
by RangerTreaty
Summary: When three friends makes a discovery, and one realises how it is to have true friends. A Marauders story.


**Before you start reading this story, I would like to point out that Swedish is my native (do you say that btw? Just curios.) Language, and I have only spoken English in school, and a 13 years old swede English is not so good. Please tell me if you find some mistakes in my grammar, I am eager to learn (Proud Ravenclaw!) more!**

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"Uhm… Guys, I`m going home. Mom´s sick again, she really needs me."

It was Remus Lupin who spoke. The one and a half years the four boys named Remus Lupin, James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew had lived in the Gryffindor dormitory Remus would disappear for a few days, almost exactly a month apart, and then come back battered and bruised, like he had a run in with a hippogriff in the Forbidden forest. He always had lame excuses, like that he "had to visit his sick mother" or "go home because his great aunt have died three days ago". The problem was that Mrs Lupin always looked in great health when they saw her Kings Cross station, and at least ten of Remus great aunts and uncles had died at this point. His stories were not believable anymore. Sirius Black raised his eyebrow.

"Seriously Remus, we know that you isn´t going home to visit your "sick mother". Why can´t you just tell us where you´re going? It can´t be that bad, huh?"

Remus visibly paled when Sirius spoke, which was a quite astounding effect because of the already pale skin tone he always had before he "went away". Remus was just about to answer but James beat him to it.

"Remus, cut out the crap. Tell us."

Remus swallowed and and his amber eyes was truly terrified.

"Please, I´m going to visit my Mom. Please, I really need to go now."

He shot a fearful glance at the window, at the beautiful sunset. Sirius brow furrowed deep in concentration. What did that fearful look mean? What was he waiting for? The moonrise? A sudden thought made him almost leap out of his bed. _No. Not Remus. Anyone but Remus. Not the shy, little, bookish Remus Lupin, who wouldn´t hurt a fly! He did even take the spiders on a bit of parchment and gently put them on the windowsill instead of step on them! No, absolutely not…_

"Just go Remus."

He was surprised to hear the words come out of his mouth. He shot James a thoughtful glare and before Remus had slammed the door shut James shouted:

"We´ll take about when you´re back!"

When we heard his footsteps disappear beyond the stairs I quickly pulled out a bit of parchment with a few dates on it.

September: 23-26

October: 22-25

November: 20-23

December: ?

January: 19-21

He quickly scribbled down:

February: 17-

Then he quickly pulled out his lunar chart for astrology and checked the dates. _No_ , he thought. _This is not happening._

Those dates where the dates when Remus had been away. They all happened on a full moon.

Across the room James Potter sat. He looked at Sirius, confusion deep, when Sirius pulled out a bit of parchment from under his pillow, and then a lunar chart. And more confusion was yet to come, when Sirius suddenly started hyperventilate and quickly closed and opened his eyes, like he had trouble breathing (which he apparently had).

"What´s wrong?"

Sirius didn´t even answer. He didn´t even look up from the parchment he had been staring for the last three minutes. Instead, he waved his hand in a fashion that clearly said, "Come and look for yourself". James swiftly stood up and Peter followed. He took three unsure steps over to Sirius´ bed. Sirius pointed at the piece of parchment.

"This", his voice was thick, like he was about to cry, " Is the dates Remus have been away."

James didn´t understand. Why was Remus monthly absences enough to make the never-crying-Sirius-Black cry? Sirius was now taking out his quill again. He looked between the lunar chart and the bits of parchment and made small crosses at the dates Remus had been away. Now James understood. Remus was always away on a full moon. And that was when Sirius Black cried for the first time since James Potter had laid his eyes on him.

"It´s not fair. Not Remus. He´s the kindest person walking on this earth. Why would _anyone_ do something that cruel to him? WHY!"

The last word Sirius shouted high enough to (probably) wake the living people in this castle. But deep down, Sirius Black had a battle with himself.

 _A werewolf? Filthy creatures that are ought to be destroyed, burned. The are not people, the are monsters, creatures, beasts…_

 _But this is Remus_ , another voice said. _My best mate, who is kind caring and gentle…_

 _But he transforms to a bloodthirsty creature once a month. What makes you think that he´s not that creature all the time? Waiting for the perfect moment to pounce, to kill…_

"SHUT UP!"

This shout was enough to wake up the dead to.

He didn´t realise he actually said that one out loud until he realised that James was staring at him, unreadable expression on his face. Peter, who had, well, lets just say, not so many brain cells, said:

"Guys, seriously, what the hell is going on?"

James shoved the lunar chart right up in Peter´s face. Peter´s brow furrowed.

"I still don´t understand, I mean, he´s just gone every full moon…"

He trailed of. He had come to the same conclusion as his two friends.

"No. Not Remus, those werewolves I have heard of…" Sirius visibly flinched at the word "werewolf". "They are evil and bite children… They are not like Remus, not at all…"

"I think we should tell him." It was James.

"I mean, he is obviously scared that we will find out and desert him, so if we tell him that we don´t care, I think that will be a huge relief for him. I mean, he, and werewolves in general, are hated by society."

Sirius nodded. Peter didn´t looked convinced, but he couldn´t say no to the people he looked up to most in the world, right? So he nodded to.

"I´m going to sleep. We will tell him as soon as he´s back. Try to get some rest."

James quickly changed to nightwear and dived in under his sheets. Next to him, two other boys did the same thing, and soon the Second year Gryffindor dormitory was silent, but all the boys was thinking loudly and sorrowful for a friend who was in pain.

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The days passed by, and everyone was worried. The Marauders (as they liked to call themselves) were quiet. Unnaturally quiet. Even McGonagall is worried. Is it possible that Black, Potter and Pettigrew and found out about Remus lycanthropy? Surely not, they would have been running to either hers or Dumbledore´s office, or spread the word over the whole school. There must be something else…

And in just that particular moment, Remus Lupin walked (more like limped) in through the doors of the Great hall. The Marauders lifted their heads form their plates, and gave Remus grins big enough to fall of their faces. Not Pettigrew´s of course, but he smiled to. Remus smiled back and his tried eyes seemed to lighten up a thousand shades.

"Hi guys."

"Hi", the three said back in chorus.

Remus grimaced as he sat down, obviously in pain form the transformation that had occurred two nights before. Suddenly three (Which two were more convincing) faces were etched with concerned.

"What happened?"

Mentally, Sirius wanted to slap James to ask the question Remus obviously couldn´t answer. As Remus froze Sirius kicked James quite hard under the table. Gosh, time to save.

"Don´t mind him Remus, he´s just tried after staying up all night dreaming about Evans."

James glared angrily at Sirius and Remus laughed. A little tense and shaking laugh, but a laugh no less. James quickly swallowed his food and said:

"Remus, hurry up, we got some talking to do."

Remus froze and had to force himself to not hyperventilate. _No, they don´t know. They wouldn´t had smiled at me and let sit beside them. Maybe they want answers? What am I supposed to tell them?_ He forced a smile and quickly shoved down the last pieces of bacon. Then the Marauders left the Great Hall. Dumbledore had a great smile on his face, and leaned over to McGonagall, who sat on his left.

"They will accept him."

One sentence had never made Minerva so happy before.

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In the Gryffindor dormitory four boys sat equally divided on two beds. Remus and Sirius on one, and James and Peter on the other. Remus was now quite terrified, and sat with his legs folded to his chest. Not so surprisingly, it was Sirius who spoke.

"Remus, we know."

His voice was soft and caring, very different from the harsh, arrogant voice he usually used.

At this Remus froze, and then he threw himself out his bed, and started to throw books and socks into his trunk.

"Uhm… Remus… Excuse my ever slow mind, but what the hell are you doing?"

Sirius looked worriedly at his friend.

"Packing." Remus answered shortly.

"Yeah, I have noticed. But why? The full moon is four weeks away. Are you going somewhere else? St. Mungo´s?"

Remus froze again at the mention of the full moon.

"No", he whispered. "No one wants to be friends with a- something like me." He finished awkwardly.

At this Sirius lost it. His friend was calling himself a _something._ He took three hard steps and Remus curled up to a small ball and started to sob.

"Please" he sobbed. "Don´t hurt me. I will change dormitory, I will even leave school, just don´t tell…"

Sirius, who had embraced him in a hug, quickly cut him of. Wait. Was Sirius Black actually _crying?_

"Remus. Please. We really don´t care. We love you for who you are, not what you are. You are our best mate."

Suddenly James was hugging Remus to. And now Remus was crying, but this time these were happy tears.

"I love you guys, you now that? You're the most stupid, idiotic gits I ever had the misfortune to meet."

"Yes, we know. And you love us for that." Sirius was happy. Remus wasn´t going to leave.

"Remus, never let your furry little problem get in our way. You are an amazing person, _never_ let anyone say something else." It was James.

"What did you just call it?"

James brow furrowed.

"Your lynca… What ever they call it, you mean? Your furry little problem. Easier to say."

At this Remus laughed, a hearty laugh, that made the world seem smaller, until it fit in the Gryffindor second year dormitory, and the four boys in it, laughing like there was no tomorrow.


End file.
